


And Another One

by eksterzang



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Wedding Planner, Attempt at Humor, Autistic Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Developing Relationship, Disabled Character, Family Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent-Child Relationship, Trans Character, Wedding Planner Geralt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:15:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25862686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eksterzang/pseuds/eksterzang
Summary: After closet romantic Geralt meets Jaskier, their paths keep crossing through the weddings he plans. Could something grow from there?
Relationships: Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon & Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion, background Triss Merigold/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg
Comments: 28
Kudos: 60





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little prologue to kick things off, I'm hoping to have an actual chapter ready to go in a few days (but no promises)  
> Hope you have a lovely Wednesday <3

"So, we don't have the music planned yet, but I understood from Shani that you already had someone in mind." Geralt said through the telephone.

His phone was clenched between his head and shoulder, while he quickly navigated to the extensive spreadsheet on his laptop. His other hand was leafing through the files lying on his desk in the meantime, trying to locate the document specifically concerned with entertainment. There was the document on the colour scheme and flower arrangements, the one on Essi’s dress having to match the venue, a small clearing in the woods. He was so engrossed in his task that Essi's voice became background noise, which was honestly not the best when talking to a customer.

"... and I think he'll be really good, you see. He's a close friend and I know he really cares about his craft, you know?" Geralt did not, in fact, know, but there was no need to let Essi in on that. The name she supplied couldn’t possibly be real either, was the man’s name really Ya- something? “… was a few years above me in school and he’s only improved from then.” Essi happily chattered on. His clients usually weren’t the type of people to be in want of a single performer, but then again, a large band would be out of place in such an intimate setting.

"Apologies, but what was his name again, Essi? I'm afraid I missed it."

"I've only mentioned it five times," she giggled, "it's Jaskier. I'll email you his details."


	2. Chapter 1 - It was a good day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> planning, planning, planning, meeting. What else is new?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> an actual chapter! here we are, a week and 4k words later. hope you enjoy!

Essi must’ve been having troubles with her computer, considering how long it was taking her to contact him. In the meantime, Geralt went through the items where a final decision was reached.

The venue was to be a small clearing in the woods, it was where Shani and Essi had their fifth date. Geralt had already visited it. With the ceremony taking place in the afternoon, the sunrays would peep through the leaves, creating a mosaic of light. It would be a prime opportunity for Triss to shine. The greens of summer would combine splendidly with any bouquet she could dream up. The bright flowers and the deep ferns would create an almost magical atmosphere. 

The seating was a whole other issue, though. There would need to be six benches moved to and from the clearing. The benches were made of a thick oak wood, Shani informed him, so they would be difficult to transport, whereupon he let out a well-deserved "fuck".  
Fortunately, Geralt had managed to find people who would be able to carry them. At least Essi and Shani had a vision of what they wanted. The only problem then is making it happen. There truly was nothing more frustrating than people who had no idea what they wanted, or worse, couldn't stick to a decision once it was made.

He had received word from Yennefer earlier in the day. Essi's dress was almost finished. Geralt gathered the files into his folder, grabbed his coat, pet his cat, left the office and closed the doors behind him. He then made his way over to his old beige car, lovingly named Roachie, after the dog who'd been his companion for years.

While driving further into town, he passed more and more high-rise buildings, until the sky itself was taken over by grey. But soon, more trees were integrated into the landscape. He then knew that it wouldn’t be long until he reached Yennefer’s place, as her workspace was located in the fancier parts of town. Geralt had doubted for a long time where to locate his office. Preferably, he’d just stayed on the hill outside of town, near his brothers and father. Unfortunately, his customers would probably not be charmed by the rustic atmosphere. On the other hand, it was better to keep work and family separated, not that Geralt ever succeeded in keeping himself to that.  
This meant that his daughter and cat were home alone most of the time, but he tried to make time for them whenever possible. Besides, Ciri was about to turn sixteen, she loved being a bit more independent. She spent half of her time at Yennefer's place, anyway, even though Geralt wished to see her more often. However, he wouldn't begrudge them their time together. They all needed one another, even if Yen wouldn't actually admit to it. Her actions spoke volumes, though.

Yen’s dresses were always masterpieces, but what she truly excelled at was adding a personal touch. It was like she could reach into people's minds and extract their thoughts and feelings. It was a comfort when Geralt himself didn't have the words to describe what he was going through, but at other times it was infuriating. Just last year there was a bride who'd only given Geralt some details to work with. Her dress design just couldn't be finalised, because there was always something that was just off about it. Somehow, after weeks of mental sparring with Geralt, it only took a few minutes with Yennefer for the problem to spill out. Turns out the death of a friend was not inductive to wedding planning. In the end, Yennefer had managed to find a way to incorporate a tangible presence of her friend into the dress, which solved all previous reservations.

As Geralt parked his car at Yennefer’s office, he heard shouting coming from inside. There was only one person who could wind Yennefer up like that, and it wasn’t someone Geralt felt like dealing with. So maybe he stalled a bit until Yennefer slammed the phone down to enter the building. The cold air was making his breath visible, but some things were worth waiting out.

Yennefer’s office was organised and spotless, as always. Not a dust particle out of place. Yennefer herself, on the other hand, was seething with rage. Even the desk in between them couldn’t stop her energies from reaching him.

"Can you believe them!?" She bellowed. It looked like she was sparking with electricity, her eyes violet and bright.

Sometimes, it was easier to let Yen rant, lest it all build up.

"Who?"

But bullshitting her may not have been the best choice in situations such as these. At this, Yennefer directed her gaze upon Geralt and saw right through him, as she’s always done.

“You know damn well whom I mean, Geralt.”

At his continued silence, Yennefer sighed and started explaining. “Pavetta wants Ciri to spend more time at Duny and her place.”

“But they’re always-”

“Yes, I know they’re always gone. There’s a reason she spends so much time with us. And believe me, I'm glad of it, but not when they keep calling us to comment on the way _we_ are raising their child."

Geralt could only hum in assent, he agreed with everything Yennefer said in any case.

"Hmmm."

"Why are you here?" Yennefer sighed, pinching her nose, "Can't you see I'm busy?" His eyes then fell onto the design book that was opened in front of her.

"Was wondering how Essi's dress was coming along." Yennefer perked up at that. Not obviously, mind you, but it was clear in the way she clenched her fingers and the small movement in her eyebrows.

"I'll show you," Yennefer said, "follow me." She then got up from behind her desk and grabbed the cane that was perched against it. As Yennefer walked in front of him through the hallway, Geralt was struck by how Yennefer was in her element like this, having full control over everything she created. She led him to her workspace, the cane a rhythmic accompaniment. Yennefer opened the doors, flicked on the lights, dragged the mannequin in question to the middle of the room, and then finally sat down again.

Essi was in want of a dress to reflect the ethereal quality of the clearing they had picked out. The dress Yennefer showed on the mannequin was perfect, of course it was. It was a white dress with a sweetheart neckline with tulle shoulder decorations. From there, it spread out into an A-line skirt. The detail on the bodice was gorgeous, but what truly grabbed Geralt's attention was the coloured tulle at the bottom of the dress. The blues, pinks and greens blending up into the white of the skirt, which would look gorgeous at the venue, catching the light while blending into the forest floor, both making her part of the environment and dragging her into the spotlight of the summer sun. It was enchanting.

“It looks great.” Geralt said.

“Of course it does,” Yennefer said self-assuredly. Geralt could tell she was glad to hear it, though. He quickly made a picture and sent it off to Essi.  
Not a minute later he received a reply.

_Oh Melitele I LOVE it!!!!!!  
please tell me when it’s done so i can come for a fitting_

“Essi wants to know when she can come in to try it on.”

“She’d best contact me about it.” Yennefer replied, “Did you talk to the musician yet?”

“Hmm, waiting for Essi to send me his details.” Yennefer raised her brow at that. “I should get going, have to get to Triss to discuss flowers with Shani.”

“Alright, talk to you later.”

* * *

It was eleven o’clock when he left the office, a bit early for his next appointment, but long enough to stop by the coffee place around the corner. As soon as the barista saw him, she exclaimed, “hot chocolate coming right up!” Geralt quickly got his wallet out and put the usual amount in the tip jar, after which he paid for his drink. He then made his way to his favourite corner of the little cafe. It was dark enough not to be noticed immediately, but it also wasn’t so dark to make people wonder whether a lamp was broken. It was just… cozy. As he nursed his beverage, there was a flurry of movement, as another customer quickly left the building, talking on the phone excitedly, forgetting his coffee in the process. Absentmindedly, Geralt thought there was a pleasing lilt to his voice.

Then Geralt was done drinking his hot chocolate, and he left the coffee shop to get to Triss. She had been Geralt's go-to florist, ever since what Yennefer sneeringly dubbed "The Incident", in which the previous one forgot about the order, and Geralt was forced to buy flowers at the supermarket, as all the regular shops were closed on a Sunday. 

Triss’ place was a bit further into the city centre, a pop of green in the lifeless concrete. A little bell rang as Geralt opened the door.  
“... are some of the options we have. Of course, we can always look at different colours, but these flowers will fit very nicely with the colour scheme and the venue. That is, if you haven’t changed your mind. I understood that your fiancee’s dress contains several colours, so adapting -Oh, Geralt! There you are!” Triss bounced up when she noticed his presence. Shani was about to get up, but Geralt waved his hands.

“No need for that, it’s good to see you.”

“Nice of you to join us, Geralt. Triss and I already got started as I was here a bit early.” Shani said. So there was no reason to go by the coffee place after all.

“We were just talking about maybe exchanging the hibiscus for amaranth.” Geralt frowned at this. The hibiscus was a gorgeous, bright centrepiece, and they would be blooming in summer. Amaranth, on the other hand, was usually much darker and didn’t have the delicate colours of hibiscus.

“Are you sure about that?” Geralt grunted. “We already decided on the hibiscus.”

“Both are great options, but we have to think about the venue as well,” Triss said, “the shape of the amaranth will blend right in with the ferns that will undoubtedly have grown by then. We can use other bright plants to make them stand out."

"What about the decorations, though?" Essi interjected, "it is a very pretty flower."

"I agree," Geralt said quickly. His furrowed brow slowly started releasing tension at this. Hibiscus was a solid choice. Pretty, delicate, a pleasant scent. It would be nice to keep it in there.

"What does Essi think about it?" Geralt asked, it was her wedding as well. Usually, couples came together to discuss the details, but Essi and Shani were on one line, and seemed to have discussed a lot beforehand.

"Essi just wants it to look good." Shani answered, "and does it?" At Geralt's confused look, she clarified, "does it look good with the dress? With my suit?"

He had to think about this for a moment. The greens, blues and pinks of the dress wouldn't match exactly, but perhaps if Yennefer were to add some darker reds it would be more grounded. A pocket square of the same colour would solve the issue as well.

"It will, I'll text Yennefer about adding some red."

Triss looked very relieved at this. "That won't be too much work for her, right?" Triss knew it wouldn't be. Otherwise she would've said so immediately.

Geralt's phone buzzed. An email notification. He was about to delete it when he saw the contents. Finally, Essi had sent the singer's contact information. Shani looked at him with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Excuse me, I believe you have this in hand, I really need to…" Geralt couldn't find the words, "... call this guy." He really had to book this singer as soon as possible. "Triss, if there are any other major changes please let me know."

"Sure!" Triss smiled, "but I don't think we'll change a whole lot after this, right Shani?"

"Yeah."

Geralt was incredibly glad to hear that. He left the warmth of the flower shop and went to his car to have a phone call. When he was seated, he turned up the heating and added the singer’s contact information to his phone, then he opened the calling application.

The phone rang once, twice...

five times until someone answered it.

“Hello this is Jaskier!” came the excited voice at the other end of the line. At least he was chipper.

“You’re speaking with Geralt of Rivia from Rivia Weddings. I am calling in regards to the wedding I am planni-”

“Right! For Shani and Essi! I’m so excited they’ve asked me. Of course, I’ve known Essi for ages and I actually would’ve been quite offended if the both of them hadn’t included me in some way, but to be the lead musician, let me tell you, Geralt -Is it okay if I call you Geralt?- I’ve just released some music so I am very excited to be able to play some of it at their wedding. Essi called me earlier today to tell me all about it and I think everything just sounds absolutely lovely. The wedding won’t be big, so it’s not like I’ll get a new audience. Actually, there’s a big chance that I’ll know everyone, except maybe save for some great grandmother or grandfather or any kind of parent -” Geralt would never figure out how he got that all out in one breath. He also had to try very hard not to make a sound while gawking at the sheer amount of words directed his way.

“Geralt are you even listening to me?”

“Yes,” he bluffed. “I called you because I wanted to schedule a meeting to discuss the proceedings”

“It’s Monday, right? Are you free on Wednesday?”

“It’s Tuesday, Jaskier.”

Then it was silent at the other end of the line for an almost uncomfortably long moment.

And then, “Already?! Well Thursday then?”

Geralt was not looking forward to meeting this person.

“Alright, penning you down for then. Do you have any preference for a time and place? I’ll be free the entire afternoon.”

“I know the nicest coffee place downtown; I’ll send you the address. And as for the time, I’m meeting a record representative in the late afternoon, so how about noon?” Geralt raised his brows at this. So he’d actually managed to be noticed, that implied that he wasn’t the absolute worst.

“Great. I’ll see you then. I’ll try to find a seat in a corner, to be recognisable.”

After his socially draining day, Geralt went home. Driving to the peace that could be found at the edge of town already helped revive some of his energy. As he parked into the driveway, Ciri returned home from school. There was something that slipped his mind, but he just couldn’t recall.

“How was school, cub?”

“It was fine,” Ciri sighed, obviously tired as well. “But I had a good time at lunch, Dara’s mum made the most delicious cookies and he shared them with-”

And Geralt let the comforting sound of home wash over him as he prepared their dinner.

* * *

Finally, Thursday rolled around. Geralt had finally had the chance to have a bit of a lie-in, which he thought he’d need, as he was meeting the human equivalent of fifteen espresso shots today.

Somehow, the coffee place Jaskier had suggested was the one he went to regularly. At least the location would be familiar. On his way to Brokilon Beans, he went over the coming interaction. First, he’d introduce himself, talk about the documents that needed to be signed, ask a question about Jaskier’s relation to Essi, and perhaps if there was time left he’d ask after his record.

When he entered, the barista started making his hot chocolate. Geralt got out his wallet and paid swiftly for it, after which he went to his favourite corner in the building. He sat down and checked his watch. Exactly on time. Perfect.

It was five past twelve and Jaskier still hadn’t shown up. Suddenly, someone in a hurry entered the shop. He ran to the counter and Geralt could overhear him ordering the sweetest drink he had ever heard of, and it somehow still contained coffee.

Geralt briefly hoped that this would be the musician, but his hopes were dashed when he went to the other side of the building, to another man in the corner over there. Geralt took a sip of his drink, not wanting it to cool down entirely. The sweet, familiar smell calmed his nerves.

The man then turned around and walked over to Geralt. His eyes quickly went over him. The stranger looked good, even if Geralt didn't want to consciously think about it. His hair was a nice deep brown, almost reaching his shoulders, and looking fluffy. There was a nice amount of stubble gracing his face (and a nice amount of hair on his chest, his mind supplied unhelpfully). The light blue silk of his shirt really brought out his eyes, and when Geralt briefly met them with his own light brown ones, they lit up like the shiny necklace he was wearing.

"Ah, you must be Geralt," he exclaimed, "I was just over there but turns out that was the wrong corner of the building, can you believe that?" He could. He just saw it happen. "I am, of course, Jaskier and I'm terribly sorry for being," at this, he looked at his watch and scrunched his nose, "eight minutes late." and he continued, "but I must tell you, I didn't expect you to be dressed entirely in black."

All Geralt could get out was a "Why not?"

"Well, you know," Jaskier waved around with his hands towards Geralt, as though it was obvious. Geralt noticed there were lots of rings on his fingers. They made a nice noise when clanging together. "With the whole wedding planner thing I just expected more… you know... romance." He moved his right hand in a sort of up-and-down movement, as though saying _don’t you see._

"Romance." It was hard to keep up. He’d already failed step one, introducing himself.

“Not that you need a lot of it, mind you, you’re very swoon-worthy as is,” his eyes then widened to an almost comical degree and Geralt almost thought that he’d seen a grimace for a split second. Jaskier’s gaze was impossible to hold, his bright blue gaze flitted over everything, never settling. Not that Geralt wanted to look into his eyes. “So, about the wedding!” Jaskier said quickly. Fortunately for both of them, this directed their attention to more important matters.

“Right. It will take place on the tenth of July, you’ll need to be there one o’clock at the latest, and they want you for both the ceremony and the reception, so you’ll be required to be there for quite a few hours.” As Geralt explained more about the venue and the proceedings, Jaskier started to light up more and more, until he seemed to be vibrating with excitement.

“A little clearing? Oh my gods, Essi told me I’d like it but that is just _adorable_ ,” he gushed. “So what kind of instrument are you in want of? Guitar, piano, harpsichord, violin, lute,” _Lute?_ “cello, harp, double bass?” Jaskier looked at him expectantly.

Geralt felt his eyebrows rise at every additional instrument. “You play all those?”

“Yes, yes. Those are what I’m best at. Sure, you can park a drum set in front of me and some noise will come out, but I’m just much better at string instruments. The piano might be a little hard to move to the middle of the woods, so personally I’m more inclined to suggest the guitar or violin, or the lute of course.” Jaskier looked thoughtful for a moment, his head inclined and his lips almost pouting. “However, with the lute it’s more tuning than playing, and while I love the sound it might be a little annoying to have breaks in between. On the other hand, I will need breaks to drink some water, that is, if they want me to sing as well.”

“I believe singing would be preferred, for the reception only.”

“Very understandable, I wouldn’t want to distract from the beauty of the moment.” Maybe Jaskier was more thoughtful than Geralt initially thought. Essi and Shani had been very tasteful until this point. He could only trust them to have the same standard when dealing with music. However, he reminded himself, Essi was active in the music industry. She wouldn’t recommend a fop.

“On the phone you mentioned that you released some of your own music,” Geralt started, “what kind music are you mostly involved in?”

“Oh, mostly just folksy, alternative stuff,” he waved his hand around, “I just put some texts to tunes and tunes to texts. Sometimes it comes easy and other times it doesn’t, but what’s a life without a little unpredictability.” Geralt, who was planning a summer wedding in January, could not relate.

“Stressful, probably.” Jaskier’s face then broke into a big smile, crinkling his eyes, a laugh leaving his lips. “Indeed,” he agreed easily, “but I wouldn’t trade it for the world, there’s the adventure, the adrenaline, being moved in unexpected ways, never being stagnant, the sheer beauty of experience. And yes, even heartbreak has the utmost value.” He then sort of sighed.

“We still need to go over some documents,” Geralt suggested, not knowing what to say to declarations such as these. That snapped Jaskier out of whatever mood he had talked himself into. He cocked his head, as though asking _which ones?_

“I need your contact information; there is a clause about how we’ll handle your data and guarantee your privacy; a tentative timeline for the wedding proceedings, so everyone will be on the same page,” he explained. “As soon as we are closer to the big day, I’ll ask you to meet to go over the ceremony, select which songs you’ll be playing and apparently, on which instrument, and inform you of the colour scheme, so you can find a suitable outfit. That is, unless you’ve already gone over it with Shani and Essi.” Geralt then rummaged through his briefcase to find the relevant form, which he then handed over to Jaskier, who was making grabby hands. After a beat, he also handed over a pen, as he didn’t expect the musician to be carrying one on him at that moment.

“Thanks for the pen! Can I keep it?” Jaskier then pulled his own pen from behind his ear, which his hair had been concealing this entire time. _Huh._ As he retrieved his pen, his eyes landed on his watch, which informed him that it was already time for his next meeting. Geralt only noticed that he suddenly jerked up and immediately started writing. Fast.

“Listen, Geralt, I’m sure that these documents are all fine and dandy, so I’ll sign them in good faith,” he then briefly looked up to wink, “but I had to leave five minutes ago, so unfortunately I really can’t stay to chat.”

He proceeded to go through the forms faster than anyone Geralt had ever witnessed doing. Jaskier then thrust the files back into Geralt’s hands and stumbled from the table, managing to call a little, “talk to you later!” over his shoulder.

Geralt took a look at the forms he’d received. Everything seemed in order. His handwriting was surprisingly neat, considering how fast he’d been writing. In the name section, he’d written down _‘Jaskier (Julian Alfred Pankratz)’_. All in order, lots of people used a moniker or nickname. The address was just a bit weird, instead of checking the box for mrs, ms, or mr, he’d written a little mx, and checked the box in front of it, which he must have drawn as well. Maybe it was time to update his forms.

Geralt gathered all the files into his briefcase again, and left the building. As he walked to his car, he realised that he wasn’t feeling drained, even after having dealt with a person as buzzing as Jaskier. Or maybe he was feeling good, actually. Must be a fluke, it wouldn’t be like that the next time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me, frantically researching: WHAT is the main religion of cidaris if essi's from there and she makes an exclamation related to any kind of higher power and melitele is mostly worshipped in the northern kingdoms?!?!?!?!?!?  
> also me: doesn't actually look up any information regarding wedding planning
> 
> I also changed Jaskier's appearance according to whim and a guy i saw on tv. he was wearing exactly what i envisioned for jaskier and the longer hair was just such a look that i couldn't leave it alone :)
> 
> I also made a little playlist on spotify I listen to while typing. If you're interested you can check it out [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6k4MYVPkw1vO653TlbQPFd?si=5tui_D2wRSWyDyJODT5IeQ)
> 
> come talk to me on [tumblr](https://goatman-official.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> and as always, I thrive on comments and kudos. Let me know if there's anything you really (dis)like or if there's anything you'd like to see!  
> cheers!


	3. Chapter 2 - I love you, and that means we are going to eat well

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love is stored in the lasagna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some kind of intermission. Also, the chapters have titles now! exciting times.
> 
> This one's a little shorter than the previous one. physically couldnt think of anything else to cram in there 
> 
> me, stealing tropes found in other fics: hee hee hoo ha
> 
> warnings for this chapter include: goat-related content, family time, and being a little lonely

It was Friday, which meant it was time for their biweekly family dinner. Earlier in the day, Geralt went into the garden, through the rows of vegetable patches and into the little shed in the back. It used to be filled with homegrown vegetables, squash, onions, beets in buckets filled with sand, carrots, but towards the end of winter, the shed was largely empty. There was still a butternut squash left, though. Perfect for lasagna.

He remembers the first time they all ate dinner together. He and Yennefer were still together, barely, but trying to make it work. Ciri had been left at their place, after Pavetta and Duny had decided to go on a golfing holiday, whatever that might be.

She was so small. Geralt could still easily carry her on one arm, then. Yennefer hadn’t liked that little trick, but there was no real danger, he’d been ready to catch her with his other. 

Ciri was almost fifteen now, much larger than the toddler she once was. Her getting older also meant that she spent more time at either Geralt’s or Yennefer’s place, her biological parents judging her old enough to be spending even less time with her. He couldn’t help recognising himself in her, having been left with Vesemir when he was around that age, maybe a bit older. He just hoped that her staying with him offered the same stability he'd received from his father figure.

A text from Yen dragged him out of his thoughts.  
_I’m bringing Triss over as well_  
As he was fumbling with the keyboard to find the thumbs up emoji, another text came in.  
_If there’s still place at the dinner table._

There was, so he sent off the emoji, that was clear enough. It was thoughtful of her to send a heads-up, nothing more frustrating than the unexpected.

The squash was quite large, so Geralt carefully spread his fingers over the surface, then gripped it like a claw.

The ends went first, and he was reminded of the time Ciri wanted to help out and tried to cut it herself, making him feel like he was having an aneurysm when he caught her. Then he cut off the neck of the squash, so there was the long part and the bulbous part. With the neck of the vegetable standing upright, he went to cut off the skin stroke for stroke, creating chopping noises when the knife met the large cutting board.

The bulbous part was then stripped of its hard skin and its seeds were removed. Geralt then cleaned up the unusable parts. Back when Roachie, the brown mutt, was still alive, she’d been in charge of cleaning up the kitchen scraps, although maybe not these either.

When he got back to the counter, Geralt cut the neck into strips, after which he diced the squash into cubes of a similar size. He couldn’t help remembering his first winter with Vesemir, and the way he’d shown him and Eskel how to make the most of the little patch of land. Later on, Lambert was added into the mix as well, a few years younger, but the biggest rascal of them all. He always had a way with knives and would undoubtedly make a sniding comment on Geralt’s technique, even if he did it perfectly.

With all the squash diced, he placed the cubes into a baking pan and put it into the oven for a moment, to soften it. The onions went next, followed by the garlic. Geralt put them in a pan, and while they were sizzling, he started on cutting the mushrooms. With the smell of onion and garlic wafting through the house, it wasn't long until Ciri poked her head around the kitchen door to ask, "What're you making?"

"Lasagna." After a beat, "do you want to make the sauce? Or are you still busy with homework?" She looked thoughtful at that. "I have a few assignments left, but I can do them after dinner. Don't feel like working anymore."

 _Very understandable,_ Geralt thought. He hummed in reply. Ciri'd understand.

She then lined up all the necessary ingredients. Milk, cornstarch, parmesan cheese, honey, nutmeg, sage, salt and pepper. During the time it took her to do this, Geralt had added the mushrooms to the skillet as well. And when they were slightly browned, he added some spinach.

Whilst Ciri was bringing the milk to a light simmer, he set the table. Four plates today, with Triss. Eskel and Lambert had mentioned they'd stop by, but they hadn't mentioned dinner, so no lasagna for them.

Geralt peeked over Ciri's shoulder. The sauce didn't look like how he usually made it, but tasty nevertheless.

"That looks great," he said. Ciri turned her head and gave him a toothy grin at the praise. "Yeah, right!" Normally, words in that order would have a sarcastic bite, but Ciri managed to make them sound genuinely enthusiastic.

When Ciri deemed the sauce done, Geralt started constructing the ingredients into an actual lasagna and put it into the oven. Ciri then went to sit at the table and started playing games on her phone. Geralt cleaned up the kitchen in the meantime.

As he was putting away the last of the pans, the front door was unlocked and Yennefer entered the house, using her key. Triss followed closely behind. She took Yennefer’s coat as well and hung it onto the clothing pegs, while Yennefer herself made her way over to the table to make conversation with Ciri.

Triss approached Geralt, a bottle of wine clasped in her hands. No dirt under her nails, Geralt noticed, so it must have been some time since she stepped out of her flower shop. 

“As a thank-you,” Triss began, “for hosting a lovely dinner.”

“We haven’t had it yet,” Geralt replied, “don’t know if it will be lovely.”

“I’m sure it will be. Good company, and from what Yennefer’s told me, good food as well.” He didn’t have a reply to that, so he just hummed and went to store the bottle in a cabinet.

“So, Yennefer told me that you met Essi’s musician yesterday,” Triss said, “how was that? You think he’s up for it?” _Hard to say,_ Geralt thought, _there was the tardiness, but also the obvious love for his craft, and his claimed proficiency. He also seemed to be full of energy, which would be good when taking on a longer concert, but it might also distract from the intimacy of the atmosphere._ What came out instead was somehow, “We’re at home, do we have to talk about work?”

"Just curious," she replied. Triss looked at him in a questioning way as he tried to gather the words to give an adequate reply. "He seems a bit high-energy, but I'll have to trust Essi on this one," Geralt started tentatively, "I've appreciated her ideas until now, so it can't be too bad."

"Such an optimist," Ciri piqued from her place at the table. Yennefer would deny it to the end of her days but she snorted at that. Geralt then gestured for everyone to join him at the dinner table and he retrieved the baked lasagna from the oven. 

“But seriously, Geralt,” Yennefer said as Geralt divided the food over the plates, “what was he like, I don’t want some idiot ruining our hard work.” She had a point. It was always a gamble taking on a new musician. Geralt actually had files filled with musicians who could be counted on to do the job right (and an excel sheet of musicians who were worth neither the time nor the money). As he hadn't seen Jaskier perform yet, he was not registered.

"Around my age, I think." He took a bite; it was delicious. "Very excited. Energetic. A bit overwhelming, to be honest." 

"But not in a bad way," Yennefer noticed. "If he gave you a bad feeling you'd have said so." Probably. Ciri laughed, she knew how much it irritated him when Yennefer managed to know his thoughts before he did.

"He seems committed, had a meeting with a record representative." Triss' eyebrows shot up at that. "Interesting," she mumbled, "what else do you know about him?"

"Not much, he knows Essi from college, seems to thrive on emotional highs, was late, had a sugary drink." Yennefer was about to say something at that, but Geralt thought he saw Triss nudge her not to. The two of them had been dancing around each other for months. Yennefer was initially apprehensive, as she didn't want Ciri to feel unwelcome at her place. That was until Ciri told her in no uncertain terms that she loved gaining another family member. And it wasn't that Geralt was jealous, Yen deserved the world, they'd had their run, but he may just be feeling a little on the lonely side. He always did. Luckily, Ciri was there often. And Roachie as well, of course.

The rest of dinner passed by smoothly. At one point, Yennefer and Triss held hands. Ciri talked about school and her friends. She seemed to be doing better now that she's splitting her time between Geralt's and Yennefer's places, instead of moving to her parents as well, as they were on an extended business trip. She was just talking about the girl she was tutoring when Eskel and Lambert came barging in.

“Geralt, you bastard!” Geralt sighed. That was Lambert. "Have some dinner left for Ciri's favourite uncles?" 

"You're her only uncles." Even though he was rolling his eyes at their (or specifically, Lambert’s) antics, Geralt got up to hug his brothers and offered them something to drink.

"Exactly, so you should cherish us more," Eskel winked. "We just came by to deliver Lil' Bleater's first batch of cheese," he grinned, obviously proud of her. Eskel proceeded to hand over the package to Ciri, who sniffed it, then squeezed it and exclaimed, "it's so soft!"

"You know what goat cheese is, don't you?" Geralt asked, concerned that she's not exposed to enough types of food. "Of course I know, Geralt," she said pointedly, "I've just never had it this fresh."

“Well, let’s have it then,” Yennefer said, “we can eat it with some bread and honey.”

“Sounds excellent, love,” Triss agreed, “that is, if there’s any in the house.” She pointedly flicked her eyes to Geralt, after which she re-established eye contact with Yennefer.

“I’ll get some.” Geralt got up to gather the items. “Feel free to move to the couch,” he said over his shoulder. From the corner of his eye he saw Ciri bounding over and Triss slowly making her way over with Yennefer.

He placed the bread in the still-warm oven, it’d be nice to have the bread be a little warm.

"Has Geralt mentioned who the poor sods are who are going to have to move those damned benches?" Lambert laments. He conspiratorially makes eye contact with Ciri and Triss, while pointing between himself and Eskel.

"You're construction workers and I'm paying you. I think you can handle having some wood in your hands," Geralt called from the kitchen, at which Ciri snorted into her drink.

“I think he can handle some wood just fine,” Eskel wheezed. “How are things with Aiden, by the way?”

“Oh fuck you!” Lambert shouted. There was a distinct redness to the tips of his ears, though.

“Things are fine,” he mumbled.

“Oh come on!” Ciri encouraged, “it’s been ages since you’ve mentioned him. How is he?” At Ciri’s tone, Lambert softened somewhat. “He’s good. Will soon be promoted to Captain at the fire station.”

“That’s great,” said Eskel, “you should invite him over for dinner sometime.”

“Maybe.”

The rest of the evening passed in a pleasant haze. Lambert tried to tease Ciri, who snarked right back. Yennefer and Triss briefly talked shop with Geralt. Ciri and Triss asked Eskel more about Lil’ Bleater, which left Lambert to talk to Yennefer, mostly to lovingly roast Geralt. By the time Eskel and Lambert made their exit a few hours had passed.

About half an hour later, Triss and Yen slowly started getting ready to go to the latter’s place. It was Yennefer’s turn to have Ciri for the week. The house would feel a little empty and cold, but Roachie would still be there to warm his lap (and his heart). Where was she hanging out, anyway? Maybe she stayed in Ciri’s room, which reminded him...

"Have you packed your bag?" Geralt asked. She didn't actually have to pack much, just some school books and her electronics. Better to ask, though.

"Yes, I've got everything." She ran upstairs to grab it, then came bounding down the stairs, her bag slung over her shoulder. She graciously allowed Geralt to kiss her forehead. She'd grown out of wanting hugs a couple of years ago, to his great regret.

While Ciri was busy putting on her coat, Triss made her way over to Geralt, already bundled up.

“It was good to see you.” She then leaned in for a hug and kissed him on the cheek. As she came closer, his face was pressed closer to her thick, dark hair, where he got a whiff of some products she'd used.

“Let’s get going!” Came Yennefer’s call from outside, Ciri had already followed her out. “Bye Geralt!” They both called.

“Good luck with your musician,” Triss said softly, “maybe think about getting to know him instead of his schedule.”

As he was finishing cleaning up the table, Geralt couldn’t stop thinking about what Triss said about knowing the musician he’d hired. It was a good point, though. Normally, he’d thoroughly have checked all the people he’d hired. But not this time. There was something about Essi’s insistence for this specific one.

Maybe it was time to do some research of his own and hopefully learn more than his name and the information on the form he’d filled in.

With the plan for the evening decided, Geralt made a cup of tea, chamomile, and made himself comfortable in the corner of the sofa.

He didn’t have any of the fancy subscriptions kids these days all seemed to have, so he hoped that his search on youtube would yield some results. From previous musicians, he’d mostly seen videos of them just… playing their instrument on film. He expected to find the same in Jaskier’s case. And they were there, but those weren’t the only ones.

There were concert videos, lots of them. Some were dated back years. They weren’t even all uploaded onto Jaskier’s channel, and they ranged from professional recordings to shaky, handheld cameras. It was Jaskier, all right, but it also wasn’t. He was in the front of the violin section, looking nothing like the free spirit Geralt had met only a few days ago. He was in a proper suit instead of a loose shirt, and his hair was much shorter as well.

He looked exactly like the kind of musician Geralt would usually hire.

It was disorienting, to say the least. He looked oh-so concentrated on the sheet music in front of him. And it sounded good, even to Geralt’s untrained ears, but it wasn’t who he had met. A previous state of the self.

As Geralt scrolled down the page, he stumbled across a playlist for his EP, called _Buttercup_. There were only five songs. One of them, the second song, had quite a lot of views, about ten thousand. It must be popular for a reason, right? So he played that one first.

The song was… pop-y. A bit monotonous. Not the “folksy alternative stuff” Jaskier had spoken of. His voice was nice but it certainly wasn’t the great talent Essi sang high praises of. With all of the other songs in the playlist, he went to the first of the songs and just pressed play. Desperate for some trust to be regained.

It was a little gauche, a bit of a ‘flex’, as Geralt had heard Cirilla describe things. He did have talented fingers, considering the speed at which he seemed to play the notes. It was mostly an instrumental, maybe a real introductory track.

The second and third song consisted of the pop song Geralt wasn't a fan of and a more melodic song with _were those pipe organs?_ That was definitely veering into alternative territory.

Then the fourth one. It was… a breath of fresh air. Much softer, giving off a more authentic atmosphere and _oh._ That’s why Essi wanted him. His voice washed over him like warm water, a soft blanket. Like the hands of a lover, holding him close.

He gripped his mug a little tighter, its heat seeping into his hands. As he listened to the rest of it, Geralt realised that Jaskier could be off to much bigger projects, he’d already been in large orchestras. Why would he do this small-scale work?

Would he be temporary? Just another one in the line of performers Geralt's worked with? If his talk with the record representative went well, he’d probably never see him again.

And that was fine. He was just someone Geralt hired.

 _Focus, Geralt_ a voice that sounded suspiciously similar to Vesemir’s said. He’s doing this for a friend. And that was the long and short of it, wasn’t it? They never would’ve met if Essi hadn’t vouched for him.

That brought his thoughts back to the ceremony. Maybe if- maybe if Jaskier played his softer songs it could be quite lovely. He'd ask him about it next time he saw him, why become niche when his previous career seemed to have been going so well.

Why make soulless pop when his… authentic songs were so refreshing to listen to? So comforting?

The fifth song was nice as well, just not as good as the previous one. It was a bit more theatrical, but there was still a bit of recognisability.

With the EP finished, Geralt finished his tea and rinsed his mug. He’d actually clean it tomorrow. Needing some more relaxation, he filled the bathtub with hot water, willing the weird feeling in his chest to go down.

* * *

The following day consisted largely of taking care of the house. Feeding the cat, cleaning up the last items from the previous night, doing groceries. The weekend always passed so slowly when Cirilla wasn’t there.

Until he realised he still needed to schedule a cake tasting session. Which he then did.

Essi and Shani were such lovely customers, it was a relief. The love those two had for each other was truly heartwarming. Often knowing what the other wanted, and if not, talking about it. They were each other’s person. They reminded him of- They made Geralt’s job so much easier. They quickly found a date and time to go. Thank the gods. He was lucky his baker had some spaces left as well.

Yennefer texted him that the dress was adjusted after fitting. Triss called him to finalise the flower arrangements. A cake tasting was on its way. Eskel and Lambert would help with the furniture. Essi and Shani had arranged for their own officiator. The invitations were already sent. Jaskier was- the music would be taken care of.

Satisfied that everything would fall in its place, Geralt couldn’t help looking forward to the ceremony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh this chapter absolutely refused to be written. I fear chapter 3 may have the same problem, but by the time chapter 4 rolls around we'll hopefully be picking up the pace!!! im excited!!  
> (well... not the writing pace but like, plot-wise)
> 
> It was really weird, because during the heatwave I was much more productive, maybe because there wasn't much else to do besides miserably sitting behind a desk lol. whereas now i can miserably sit behind a desk and go outside sometimes to meet people while keeping a fat juicy 2m of distance between us while staying hydrated.  
> Just kidding guys, im having lots of fun writing this (when the words will come)  
> If you're curious to know how the planning of the rest of this fic is coming along, there are now about 40 pages in my google docs (including the already-written chapters), i don't know what that tells you, but there are planned plot points for once.
> 
> How come it's much easier to write stuff in this measly little note than for the actual fic? maybe i just really love oversharing.  
> and it's not like many people are reading this, it's sort of nice to be a bit niche
> 
> i also tried to make geralt more verbose but he just didn't overly feel like it. Can't blame the guy.
> 
> and btw a massive thank you to all the lovely folks who've (knowingly or not) encouraged me to keep this going!
> 
> It will probably (aka most definitely) take me a longer time to churn out chapter 3, since classes, internship, and other hobbies etc. are starting up. In any case, I'll hopefully see y'all in the next one(s). Cheers!


	4. Chapter 3 - You have me like a drawing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Essi and Shani's wedding! What will be in store for Geralt and Jaskier? Hint: it starts with bare and ends with -ly professional working relationship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops, it's been some time. A massive thanks to all the lovely people in the comments who kept me motivated to write !!! :)

In the end, it was incredibly easy to sort everything out with Jaskier, the musician’s easy-going nature made for smooth contract negotiations. They’d decided on Jaskier only bringing his lute, for consistency throughout the day. Privately, Geralt thought that it would be one less thing to think about, not having to move the entire load of instruments. The colour scheme didn’t pose a problem either. The couple had decided on the rich red of amaranth and soft greens, with other little pops of colour. Jaskier had told Geralt he had a green shirt, it would suffice. They were to be wed in a forest, after all. 

Jaskier had even managed to barter for a better price even though Geralt had a standard rate? He overwhelmed Geralt with something about him wanting both his incredible technical skill and knowing how to play the audience in order to liven the place up with his performance.

When he discussed this with Essi and Shani they almost cried laughing. Shani gasped something about garden weeds? It was very unclear. Moving on, there was still some room in the budget to accommodate for the musician's rates. It was fine.

In the meantime, Winter had made way for Spring, and it nearing the end of May meant Ciri would be turning sixteen soon.

Pavetta and Duny had planned a party for when they were back in the country again, which Ciri was not looking forward to. They even deigned it necessary to let Ciri know they returned especially for her.

It was to be a garden party, celebrated in their large estate. Geralt and Yennefer had been invited as well, seeing as they were her godparents. Yennefer had declined, though, she was busy with work and would make it up to Ciri at a later date. Geralt, on the other hand, had the time and was thus forced to go. Even with his less than enthusiastic reaction to the invitation, Ciri's was somehow more lacklustre at the news.

"Why don't you want to go?" Geralt asked.

Ciri shrugged, her shoulders stayed up to her chin when the motion ended. A frown marred her face.

"Ugh- I don't know," she seethed, "it's always like. UGH!"

Geralt tilted his head, waiting for Ciri to gather her thoughts. And share them, if she felt inclined to.

"They always- it's never fun, these big parties. And I have to be nice to everyone. I barely know these people!"

These large gatherings often included her big, extended family, many of whom she barely ever saw.

"We can have our own party as well," Geralt suggested, "you could invite some friends over like last year and you can have a nice evening, or afternoon, or whatever you'd like."

That brought a little smile to her face, hidden behind her hair. The longer the idea bounced around in her head, the more she brightened.

"That'd be nice. Thanks, Geralt."

Her family's party was first though, Ciri wanted to save the best for last.

* * *

The atmosphere was… stuffy, to say the least. The music was pompous and lacked soul, the -snacks- (Ciri called them ‘horse divorce’ to spite her parents) were so tiny you could keep knocking them back and still not fill your stomach. The other guests were nauseatingly rich, and only talked about lame campaigns and owning stocks. So he understood why Ciri didn't like her parents' idea of a party. He really did, but the cake that was brought out was gorgeous, he might look into the bak-

Ciri stomped down the lawn in a frilly dress. When she reached Geralt, she violently flung herself into the chair next to his. Her arms crossed and she slumped down until her head was barely reaching the midway point of the back of her chair. A thunderous expression made its way onto her face, she frowned and her lips were ready to part in a snarl.

"What is it?"

"Don't wanna talk about it."

"Not now or not ever?"

She paused at that, then shrugged.

"Dunno," she mumbled.

Geralt hummed, it was better than nothing.

She looked over at him and blew away the bangs that had fallen into her eyes. Slowly, her shoulders relaxed and she slumped even more into the chair.

"Can we go home?"

* * *

The party Ciri planned for herself went off without a hitch. Having a wedding planner for a caretaker does that, apparently.

During the party, Geralt mostly kept to himself (and Roachie), except when it was time to bring out the cake, of course. He saw some familiar faces. Dara was there, as well as other people. Was that Gretka? Greta? And was that Senna D. or Senna R.? He never could keep track.

Ciri's bright smile at the end of the day was most important, though.

It was concerning how little time Pavetta and Duny seemed to have for Ciri, too caught up in each other to notice. From dropping her off at age four to go on a trip to upsetting her at her own birthday without addressing it. She hadn't spoken about what happened. Ciri could get in a mood, yes, like all teenagers, but it was harder to get her truly angry. Either one of her parents could've said something, but it'd be hard to help if Ciri didn't let him know what was wrong. It was only lucky that she had Yennefer as well, who would never let something like this happen. At least she had a safe haven there. 

“Geralt!” came Ciri’s call. She was holding up some shiny wrapper, “does this go with plastics or paper waste?”

“Just hand it to me, I’ll sort it out. Go enjoy your party.”

* * *

Geralt was still in his casual trousers when Lambert and Eskel arrived at the parking lot. Being the planner meant being there for the entire ceremony, as well as all the preparation beforehand. He'd change into his suit later. For now, the soft fleece of his fake jeans graced his legs.

The two got out of their van, both wearing comfortable clothing as well - they were about to perform manual labour, after all. Lambert walked around for a bit to find the easiest route to the location, barely keeping himself from trampling all over the wildflowers growing there.

"Nice scenery here," he called out. It was.

"Must be if you noticed it," came Geralt's quick reply, used to his younger brother’s sardonic comments. Geralt felt his inner teenager making a comeback, teasing Lambert like this.

"Much better than seeing your ugly mug."

"Guys, please." Eskel sighed. "Must we start the day like this?" Eskel felt his inner teenager making a comeback as well, as the oldest all too used to his younger siblings' antics. Older than Geralt by three weeks, but still.

It didn’t take them long to march down to the clearing, the benches carried between the two of them.

In the meantime, Geralt was overseeing the flower delivery. Triss was right on time with her assistant in tow. They carried out large, wooden planters, filled with gorgeous greens, the dark amaranth, and countless other flowers, culminating to a beautiful arrangement. As he made sure everything was accounted for, he checked it off on his clipboard.

"If you can carry these with ease why didn't I hire you to carry those benches," Geralt mused, hoping Lambert would hear.

"Because we have better things to do," Triss shot back with a wink.

"Of course," came Eskel's voice. They'd returned for the next one. "And we want to keep Lambert busy, he gets so antsy indoors."

The sound of tires crunching the gravel reached Geralt’s ears. That’d be Keira with the cake delivery.

"I thought he was always fed up."

"I'll have you know, Triss, that I am a delight." Lambert said.

"Those aren't mutually exclusive." Keira piped up from her place behind the wheel. There were shades perched low on her nose.

“Keira.” Lambert’s face did a funny thing. His left brow went up for a moment and a muscle near his eye seemed to jump.

“Lambert.”

It had been some time since the two had last seen each other. They seemed to be in some sort of staring competition.

Keira sighed and got out of her van.

“It’s good to see you’re well.,” she said.

“Same goes for you,” he replied, “still in the baking business?”

She looked at him blankly. “What else would I be doing here.”

Lambert grimaced.

“I have to finish setting up,” he mumbled in an attempt to get away. Geralt made his way over to Keira to show her the route, but Keira stopped the both of them with a raised hand.

“Actually, I could use Lambert to help me move my stuff to the site.”

While they went off to do just that, Geralt went into Eskel and Lambert’s company van to change into his wedding suit. It was entirely black, of course, and he tied his white hair back to stave off the heat. The fabric wasn’t as stretchy and soft as he would’ve liked, but he was expected to oversee the proceedings, and he didn’t want to stick out in the crowd.

With Keira’s arrival, there wasn’t much left to prepare. 

As he climbed out, he saw the two of them return, they seemed to be ribbing each other as they used to do. He slipped his clipboard under his arm, and with everything in place, it was waiting for Jaskier.

He didn’t have to wait long. The musician showed up on time and slightly out of breath. His lute was slung over his shoulder and Geralt noted that he was wearing a green shirt, as discussed.

“Oh Geralt, there you are!” Jaskier exclaimed. “You wouldn’t believe the morning I’ve had.” 

He took a deep breath, as though preparing to go off into a lengthy monologue, but Geralt gently interrupted him before he could get carried away. “Shall I show you where you can set up?”

As they walked, Jaskier complained about the uneven ground, how the dirt dulled the shine of his boots, and how long it took to get there with the bus. So, altogether it was meaningless prattle. Geralt still hummed at the appropriate moments, though. But when they got to the location, Jaskier started babbling about the decorations and the lovely flowers, and Geralt couldn’t decide whether to frown or smile at that, so he did neither.

Shani was already at the altar, making sure that the pillows were comfortable. She was hands-on like that. Geralt wasn't sure if he'd ever had better customers.

Jaskier busied himself with setting up, fluttering around the area to find the perfect spot, so Geralt crossed another item off the list. This is when he saw Jaskier stumbling over a root. Geralt reached out without thinking, grabbing the other by the nape of his shirt.

Jaskier looked bewildered, then nervously took the lute out of its case and fussed over it, checking for any damage.

He then turned those bright eyes to Geralt.

"By the gods, I'm never playing in a forest again!" His hands flew everywhere, his lute was secured though.

Geralt grunted.

Jaskier continued on, unperturbed.

"These roots are just the absolute worst, I could've _died_ , or worse, _damaged my lute!_ " His flapping arms slowly lost their energy.

"Seems I was in the right hands, though." He winked for good measure.

As if he hadn't just made Geralt's stomach doing weird things. It was probably the nerves of possibly having to replace a musician on short notice. That must've been it, yes. He can't take his eyes off the other, though.

The moment was broken when Geralt could see guests trickling in from his periphery. He looked around, and somehow he'd missed Shani making her way over to the arch.

_Odd how everyone was so early_

"Well, they obviously couldn't wait to see me play." He'd said that out loud?

At Geralt's blank look, Jaskier continued on.

"I'll quickly finish setting up, go take care of the rest." And with a soft squeeze to Geralt's shoulder, he was off.

Geralt made his way towards the back, taking a wide arch around the seating area, as not to disturb friends and family. It took some time for everyone to find their seats, but when they did, Jaskier softly started playing.

Of course, he'd heard his music already, but seeing those masterful hands at work lit something up in Geralt. Not a blazing inferno, no, with its shapes undefined and ever-changing. Instead, it was a little pin-prick, slowly growing to the size of a tea light. Flickering, yes, but steady and hot enough to warm your hands, if you carefully cupped them around it.

He was so lost in thought that he almost missed Essi walking down the makeshift aisle. She looked gorgeous in her dress. It was like magic. The skirt swirling around, with its colours blending into and diverging from each other. Geralt subtly took a picture to send to Yennefer, as she couldn’t make it. More specifically, she’d told him,

_“I am not going to humiliate myself by going over there, only to trip over some branches. I know what the dress looks like and I know it will be perfect, because I made it.”_

_There was nothing he could disagree with, so he smiled. "Alright."_

_Her voice softened and she just said, “have fun, though.”_

With Essi and Shani finally united, they took place on the cushions placed at the front and their friend connected their hands with a red string.

It wasn’t fun that drove Geralt to organise. He loved planning these events, yes. The way he could play with the budget, making the exact schedule for the day, these puzzles on how to meet everyone’s wishes. But most of all, getting to see the love between the people he was helping. The ceremony itself falling like a mosaic into place, the affection the cherry on top. Essi and Shani had it in spades. Their officiant had started talking, but Geralt wasn’t paying attention to him. His eyes focused on Jaskier, how he’d stopped playing at the exact right moment, on Essi, who looked at Shani with love in her eyes. On Shani, who looked back with the same emotion. They didn’t need to say anything, it was obvious in the way they held each other’s gaze.

They did, though. Shani started with her vows.

His thoughts drifted to Yen, how she'd hate this sort of open affection, yet be endeared by it. To Triss, who might change her mind about that.

"...always be myself with you,"

Essi's long blonde hair reminded him of Ciri. How long would it until she came home with a partner? It felt like she had still been a toddler only yesterday. What would they be like? Maybe someone who could keep up. Definitely an equal, she had enough shit to deal with her parents.

"...best thing that ever happened to me"

It wasn’t unusual for the reception to be taking place at the venue, but it being in the woods made it significantly harder. Fortunately, they didn’t need a DJ and all the concerns that came with it: bringing over the booth, making sure there was a power system, a possible sound check. Speaking of the reception, it might start soon.

"… be your person as long as we shall live"

The officiant finished their ceremony, stepped back and said,

“You may kiss your wife.”

Essi leaned forward as fast as she could, falling entirely into Shani. Her free hand clasped at Shani's shoulder, moving to cup her cheek while they slotted their lips together. Their hands were still tied and awkwardly held up between them. When they separated, neither could stop smiling. As they rose up, Jaskier started playing an upbeat tune.

The two of them made their way through the aisle, flowers raining down on them from the sides.

Geralt begrudgingly had to admit Triss was onto something with the amaranth.

The rest of the guests slowly followed them, leaving space for Eskel and Lambert to shape the pews into a proper party space.

As the afternoon slowly turned into evening, Keira’s cake was eaten, dances were had, and people generally seemed to be having a good time. There was a dip in energy which Jaskier gladly took advantage of, segueing into a slower song. And that was… something.

Of course, Geralt had done his homework. He knew the singer was talented to some degree. But there was a difference between being good in the studio and being good live. And Jaskier was transcendent. 

Geralt couldn’t tear his eyes away if he tried.

So much so that he didn’t notice Keira sliding up next to him until she spoke. Her mouth almost hidden by the champagne glass held in her hand. Were it not that it was, well, glass.

“Remember when you thought this would be good for you and Yen?”

Geralt distinctly did not jump.

“Yes.”

Keira turned to look at him fully, clearly waiting for more. Jaskier’s voice sounded lovely in this part of the song.

“But I’m glad she’s with Triss. They’re happy.”

She almost grinned. “They are, aren’t they.”

Keira clearly must have noticed his straying eyes, as she followed his gaze.

“Geralt?!” She exclaimed, her voice was faux scandalous. “Are you staring at the musician?”

Before he could deny it, Triss sidled up on his other side as well.

“Geralt, you _must_ tell me your opinion on the flowers.” As if they hadn’t thoroughly discussed it.

They passed the time that way, lingering at the sidelines. Well, Geralt mostly did. The others felt welcome to mingle.

After hours of celebrating, most people had left. Geralt was almost ready to ask how long it would still take, his bottom was starting to hurt from sitting removed from everyone. Then his eyes fell onto the married couple, laying on the grass with some other people. Jaskier was there as well, playing bawdy ditties at their feet. His loving audience seemed to be giggling helplessly and smacking him in turn.

He said something to them, then carefully - _carefully_ \- put down his lute and made his way to the drinks table. All the while half turned around and gesticulating to the others.

At the table, Jaskier almost seemed to deflate, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling. He took a cup and poured something in. Probably water. As he turned around, he scanned the area, finding it almost empty. Except for Geralt. And he made his way over again, exactly like their first meeting. This time, there was no seat across from Geralt, so he plopped down next to him.

Up close, Geralt could see the exhaustion written on his face. There were dark circles under his eyes, though he’d clearly meant to cover them with makeup, considering the weird texture there.

“So… what did you think?” Jaskier asked. He surreptitiously flexed his hands and cracked his joints. His eyes were wide and so, so blue. A little grin started to form on his face, though. Somehow already knowing what the answer would be. As if he found the knowledge in the turn of Geralt’s mouth or the way the light of the setting sun reflected off his hair.

“Your music,” Geralt started, “-it was fine.”

“Wow, in three words.” The skin around his eyes was tight.

Geralt felt like he had to offer more to the conversation.

“Can I save your contact information? In case someone wants to hire you again.”

Jaskier perked up, his smile seemed more genuine now. “Why, if you wanted my number you could’ve just said so.”

He even winked for good measure. At Geralt’s inability to answer that, he paused and took a gulp of his drink.

“But yes, I would like that.”

“Are you always this forward with the people who hire you?”

“Only the sweet ones.”

Jaskier quickly turned his head away, the tips of his ears colouring red. They sat in silence after that, were it not for Jaskier tapping the nails of his right hand against his glass. He took a deep breath, then turned his gaze to Geralt again.

“Say, Geralt. Do you have any idea how long this shindig will last? I still need to get home and I’m not sure how often the bus comes here.”

“You can’t take a taxi?”

“You see, that’s a very funny story.” Jaskier then drank the last of his beverage. Stood up, and walked back over to the group he was with, leaving a baffled Geralt behind. He fluidly picked up his lute again and resumed playing. All fatigue gone from his movements. A bright smile adorned his face once more.

* * *

On the way back home he called Yennefer, prepared to reflect on the day’s proceedings. They’d already discussed the clothing and flowers, when she asked, “How was he?”

“Who?”

“The new one, what was his name? Yas-something?”

“Jaskier? He was fine.” Geralt thought of the way his fingers had effortlessly slid over the strings and resolutely did not think about how he’d seemed to have pissed him off.

“ _OOOH_ that’s a big compliment coming from Geralt!” Triss shouted from a distance. That wasn’t true. She and Yen did good work as well. He wasn’t sure whether he’d want to work with other people. But how did Triss hear what he said?

“Am I on-”

“You’re on speaker.”

“Did it go well?” That was Ciri, who was apparently also part of this conversation.

“Yes, everything went according to plan. No surprises.”

* * *

When Geralt came home, he already heard Roachie meowing at the door to the hall, impatient as ever.

He refilled her bowl, then made his way over to slump on the couch. After a few minutes, Roachie came trotting over. The big beast jumped into his lap and she made herself comfortable. Geralt reached out to pet her dark coat.

“Hey Roachie. You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well this sure was a bitch to finish. Uni/work has been kicking my ass, so im really looking forward to winter break, I might actually have some time to work on this :)  
> I'm not super happy with this chapter, but i also really wanted to get something out there
> 
> I've upped the chapter count because im planning on little intermissions to help move the story along and break the long periods of time into bite sized pieces. Please tell me if that's something you'd be interested in, because i can also leave them and focus on the "main" story.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! as always, kudos and comments make my day!

**Author's Note:**

> turning my [dumb little tumblr post](https://eksterzang.tumblr.com/post/626092173921779712/thinking-about-a-geraskier-wedding-planner-au-that) into an actual fic, lord help me
> 
> kudos and comments make my day!
> 
> come talk to me on tumblr :)


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